Major League Soccer's next big step

Via the Seattle Times

By Zach Ricchiuti

Major League Soccer must reevaluate its priorities if it hopes to entrench itself alongside mainstream U.S. sports like football and baseball.

Sepp Blatter's year-end swipe at Major League Soccer left no question about how the big man atop FIFA views soccer in America. And while harsh, he unfortunately has a point.

MLS has made big strides in its short history. It's the third-best attended sport in the U.S., and the number two sport for kids aged 12 to 24. More significantly, just 7.2 million of the 30 million Americans who identify themselves as soccer fans are also MLS fans. That leaves some serious room for growth. 

But those headline statistics cannot make up for the simple truth that professional soccer in the U.S. is routinely buried by the attention and airtime devoted to the NFL, NBA, and MLB. Soccer has so far failed to break into the country's mainstream sports narrative, even after publicity grabs that included recruiting David Beckham, Thierry Henry and Robbie Keane. 

In spite of that, teams are sticking with the same strategy, hoping the next major international splash brings lasting attention along with it. The New York Red Bulls in the offseason signed Juninho, a stellar professional who is also a 38-year-old with questionable ability to mesh with the existing squad. Combine him with former PR plays Tim Cahill and Henry and the New York attack is a combined 106 years old. 

Not to be outdone, the L.A. Galaxy are now in talks with 35-year-old midfielder Frank Lampard.

The average American soccer fan is surely glad that these icons are playing in MLS. But at the same time, it's made them no more likely to trek out to lonely Harrison, N.J., to support the Red Bulls, or travel miles outside of Chicago to root for the Fire. Stadiums without 50-yard lines and teams in new places like Portland and Seattle have helped move the league forward, but the lack of a coherent storyline or sense of importance around those arenas and their clubs still holds MLS back. It'll take more than a lively atmosphere to create that necessary connection, and the league needs to refocus on solving that problem, rather than just buying every available aging star and plastering his name all over the place. 

The better answer to MLS' dilemma is simple youth. Clubs need to take more gambles, like Seattle did with Colombian sensation Fredy Montero. He may have been inconsistent, but he was exciting and unpredictable and quickly became the face of the franchise. The fans got to make a natural connection with their team's star, rather than one prearranged through an expensive cross-continent deal and some clever marketing. 

MLS would also do well to put added emphasis on youth here at home. Pump more money into academies and raise the standard of coaching in the U.S., so that the best talent comes from that giant pool of 12 to 24-year-olds already hooked on soccer in America. We've seen the success that Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore have enjoyed on the international stage, and similar homegrown stories would bring national attention and commercial benefits. Media hype about an 18-year-old U.S. soccer phenom is guaranteed to receive more play on ESPN than Frank Lampard playing out the string in L.A. 

MLS won't break into the upper tier of American sports if it maintains its short-term view. It needs to accumulate and solidify its loyalties with fans, and unless it's going to throw gobs of cash at them like teams do with their big-name recruits, it will take a little longer and a lot more work. So start young, and work up from there. When MLS can prove that it can both build and retain U.S. talent, the value of its product will soar.

Zach Ricchiuti is a contributor and resident soccer expert for Began in '96.